Mayor in disabled parking row

DISABILITY campaigners are fuming after the Mayor of Oldham left her official limousine in a disabled parking bay while she attended a function. Valerie Sedgwick's car was seen in the disabled bay when she was guest of honour at a civic reception.

DISABILITY campaigners are fuming after the Mayor of Oldham left her official limousine in a restricted disabled parking bay while she attended a function.

Valerie Sedgwick's 19ft-long Volvo was seen in the disabled bay next to an art gallery where she was guest of honour at a civic reception.

A council spokesman said that the first citizen's chauffeur was granted special permission to park there for two hours and that the car could easily have been moved if disabled drivers had needed the space.

But disability campaigners fighting for improved rights say no motorist should be allowed to park in designated spaces, regardless of who they are.

Douglas Campbell, executive director of the Disabled Drivers' Association, said: "This is totally inexcusable. It sets a bad example to other people. The mayor's attendant could have easily taken the car to its garage and waited for her engagement to finish.

Anniversary

"We could understand if there was a security issue and the mayor's car needed to be close to the building. But I'm sure the mayor's security was not a concern in these particular circumstances."

Mrs Sedgwick used the space behind Gallery Oldham when she attended a function organised to celebrate the 150th anniversary of a local newspaper in the town.

Her six-door black vehicle was photographed by the Manchester Evening News parked in a bay which had a disabled parking emblem clearly marked in yellow paint.

The mayor's driver could not be seen at the wheel at the time our picture was taken.

Parking at the Gallery Oldham is controlled by a private contract firm and divers who park there without a contract permit or a disabled parking permit can usually expect to be fined.

A pay and display car park is just a few yards away, plus a car park reserved for customers of a supermarket chain.

A spokesman for Oldham council defended the use of the disabled space by the mayor's limousine, claiming that the space had not been needed by any disabled drivers at the time.

"The mayoral office and the council recognise the importance of disabled parking facilities within the borough," he said.

Permission

"They also treat seriously any concerns raised by groups or individuals about the misuse of such parking bays.

"However," he added, "in this instance, the mayor's attendant parked the car in a disabled spot after begin given permission to do so by the car park proprietors.

"Arrangements were made with the car park attendant for the car to remain in the area for a two hour period."

The spokesman added: "During this period, the mayor's attendant remained no more than 20 yards away from the car.

"He would have been in a position to move it immediately should a disabled driver need access.

"There are a total of four disabled parking bays at Gallery Oldham. None of the other three parking bays were required during the mayor's two-hour visit.

"Had an alternative parking space that was not disabled been available, then the mayor's attendant would have used this in the first instance."

Disability rights groups criticised Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott three years ago after he was asked to move his Jaguar because it was blocking a driver from using a disabled space outside a Chinese restaurant.

Should the disabled parking bay have been used for the mayor's limousine?